I'm currently preparing for maternity leave and have been following this thread closely - it's been incredibly helpful! My employer also has a supplemental pay policy, and I was initially worried about how to handle it properly. Based on everything I've read here, it seems like the key is making sure these payments are coded correctly on paystubs as "supplemental benefits" rather than regular wages. I'm planning to have a conversation with my HR department before my leave starts to ensure we're both clear on the proper coding. @StarStrider - I hope your PFL application went smoothly this week! You've handled everything so professionally and thoroughly. The way you proactively addressed the payroll error and got documentation from HR is exactly the right approach. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned much - for those who've completed the PFL certification process with employer supplemental pay, is it pretty straightforward to report these payments, or are there any tricky aspects to watch out for? This whole discussion has given me so much confidence about navigating this process when my time comes. Thank you to everyone who's shared their real experiences - this community is amazing! 🙏

I'm going through this exact situation right now and can definitely relate to your stress! My employer also supplements state benefits up to 100% of salary, and I was initially panicked about how it might affect my claims. After dealing with this for the past few weeks, here's what I've learned: the supplemental payments are totally fine as long as they're coded correctly on your paystubs. They need to show up as something like "supplemental disability benefits" or "leave pay supplement" - NOT regular wages. When you certify for PFL, you'll report these under "other benefits received," but they won't reduce your state benefits since you're not actually working. You're absolutely doing the right thing by having HR fix that payroll error and document it properly. I had a similar situation where they accidentally processed regular pay during my first week of leave, and once they corrected the coding and provided written documentation, there were no issues with EDD. For your PFL timing, applying early this week sounds perfect if your SDI ends in about 10 days. I filed mine about 6 days before my disability ended and had a seamless transition with no gap in benefits. One tip that's really helped me: start a simple tracking spreadsheet now with dates, EDD amounts, employer supplement amounts, and how they appear on your paystubs. It makes certification so much easier and gives you peace of mind that everything is documented. Don't stress too much - you're being super proactive about this which puts you in a great position. The system handles employer supplemental benefits all the time! You've got this! 💪

Just want to echo what others have said about persistence paying off! I had this exact issue earlier this year - moved to CA from Oregon and couldn't access my account. What finally worked was a combination of calling multiple times until I got someone helpful AND having all my documents ready to go. I used my Oregon driver's license + passport + Social Security card. The rep walked me through uploading them through their secure portal and flagged my account for manual review. Took about 2 weeks total but I finally got access. Pro tip: call early in the morning (like 8 AM sharp) - seemed like I had better luck reaching someone who wasn't already burned out from dealing with frustrated callers all day. Don't lose hope, it's definitely solvable!

This thread has been so helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation but with a twist - I'm a CA resident who just never got around to getting a driver's license (I live in SF and use public transit). I've been putting off dealing with this but clearly need to bite the bullet. From reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like getting a CA state ID from the DMV might be my easiest path forward since I'm actually a resident. @NeonNomad mentioned this as option #1 - has anyone here actually gone through the DMV process for a state ID specifically for EDD purposes? Just wondering about timing since I need to access my benefits sooner rather than later. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - it's reassuring to know there are solutions even when the system seems impossible to navigate!

I went through this exact situation in 2023! I was on disability/PFL from my main job as a physical therapist (couldn't do patient transfers after my C-section) but was able to continue my side telehealth consultations from home. Here's what worked for me: Get your doctor to write a very specific note distinguishing between your job duties. Mine wrote "Patient is unable to perform essential functions of physical therapy including patient transfers, prolonged standing, and lifting >10lbs due to post-surgical restrictions. Patient is medically cleared for sedentary computer-based work up to 15 hours per week." Report EVERYTHING on your certifications - even if you only work 2 hours that week, report it. EDD has a formula where they reduce your benefits based on part-time earnings, but you still come out ahead financially. For me, working 8-10 hours/week reduced my weekly benefit by about 30%, but the combined income was still more than benefits alone. The transition from disability to PFL was seamless - same reporting requirements. Just make sure your doctor's clearance notes specify you're still unable to perform your main job duties during the PFL period too. Document everything and don't stress too much - this is actually a pretty common situation for people with multiple employers!

I'm in a very similar situation right now - on maternity leave from my full-time job as a teacher (can't handle the physical demands of being on my feet all day with kindergarteners) but considering doing some online tutoring from home. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been SO helpful! Based on what I'm seeing, the key takeaways seem to be: 1) Get very specific medical documentation that distinguishes between your job duties, 2) Report absolutely everything on your certifications, and 3) Keep meticulous records of all part-time work and earnings. I'm curious - for those who successfully did this, did you give EDD a heads up before starting the part-time work, or did you just start reporting it on your next certification? I want to be as transparent as possible but also don't want to create unnecessary complications if it's not required to notify them in advance. Also wondering if anyone has tips for the best time to call EDD to actually get through to someone? I've been trying for days and either get busy signals or disconnected after waiting on hold for hours.

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation - submitted my PFL claim back in late August and it's been complete silence from EDD ever since! This thread has been incredibly helpful though, so thank you Katherine for starting this discussion. I'm definitely going to try a multi-pronged approach based on everyone's advice: starting with William's professional email template, then moving to the early morning calling strategy that Vanessa mentioned, and if all else fails, contacting my local representative like Olivia did successfully. It's honestly mind-blowing that we have to become experts in government bureaucracy navigation just to get updates on our own benefit claims, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions. The spreadsheet tracking idea from Fatima is brilliant too - I wish I had started documenting everything from day one! Here's hoping we all get some movement on our cases soon. Hang in there everyone! 💪

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed my PFL claim back in early October and it's been total silence since then. This thread has been so incredibly helpful - I honestly thought I was doing something wrong or missing some obvious step. Reading everyone's experiences and strategies has given me hope that there's actually a path forward. I'm planning to start with William's email template tomorrow, then try the early morning calling approach if that doesn't work. The local representative option is definitely going in my back pocket for later if needed. It's wild that we have to become professional government agency whisperers just to get basic information about our own cases, but this community support makes it feel so much less overwhelming. Katherine, thank you for starting this thread - just knowing I'm not alone in this bureaucratic maze helps more than you know! Fingers crossed we all start seeing some movement soon 🤞

This thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm an IHSS provider for my disabled father and also work part-time at a local library. My partner and I are hoping to start our family soon, and I was completely lost about how these benefits would work together until I found this discussion. What really strikes me is how consistent the success stories are - everyone who had a smooth experience emphasizes the same key points: early communication with your social worker, complete transparency with both agencies, and understanding that SDI/PFL only covers your regular W-2 job while IHSS continues as a separate program. I'm definitely going to reach out to our IHSS social worker next week to start this conversation, even though we're still in the planning stages. Based on all the advice here, I want to get everything documented and understand our county's specific policies before we actually need the benefits. The Claimyr service recommendation keeps coming up too - I'm bookmarking that for sure! The idea of actually being able to reach a human at EDD sounds almost too good to be true after hearing all the phone system horror stories. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their real experiences, especially the detailed step-by-step guidance. This thread has transformed what felt like an impossible situation into something that's actually manageable with proper preparation. You've given so many of us hope that we can balance caring for our disabled family members while also growing our own families!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm an IHSS provider for my disabled sister and also work part-time at a local medical office. My husband and I are planning to start trying for our first baby early next year, and honestly, I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how all these different programs would interact. What really gives me confidence after reading everyone's experiences is how consistent the success stories are. The key themes seem to be: early proactive communication with your IHSS social worker, complete transparency with both EDD and IHSS, understanding that SDI/PFL only applies to your regular employer (not IHSS work), and having solid documentation of everything. I'm definitely going to schedule a meeting with our social worker next month to discuss this scenario before we even start trying. It's clear that getting ahead of it and having everything documented makes such a huge difference in avoiding confusion or delays later. That Claimyr service has been mentioned so many times throughout this thread - I'm absolutely saving that information! The stories about EDD's phone system are honestly terrifying, so having a reliable way to actually reach a human sounds invaluable. Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world experiences here, especially the detailed explanations about how these programs actually work together. This discussion has completely changed my understanding from thinking I might have to choose between having a baby and keeping our IHSS income, to realizing this is totally doable with proper planning. You've all been so generous with your advice and it's going to help so many families navigate this complex situation!